


Skydancer

by GuardianSoulBlade



Category: Teen Titans, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Conversations, Court of Owls, Crime Fighting, Dick Grayson discovers the Court of Owls, F/M, Fist Fights, Haly's Circus, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Post-Canon, Talon - Freeform, The Teen Titans discover the Court of Owls, conversations atop a Ferris wheel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23745415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianSoulBlade/pseuds/GuardianSoulBlade
Summary: She was little more than an urban legend whispered about in Paris, a teenager that robbed rich people. She disappeared and everyone forgot the story, but secret cabals and superheroes are the legacy she left behind. The Court's mistake was thinking that she wouldn't move heaven and earth to protect her son.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, John Grayson/Mary Grayson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	1. The Haunt

Mary Lloyd Grayson stood in the location known as The Old Haunt, they said it was a supervillain lair until the place blew up. Mary Lloyd didn't need a lot in her life, but as long as she had food and somewhere out of the rain, it would do.

She should go to her son, it's not like she couldn't ask for directions, everyone in the city could point her to Titans Tower, the problem was finding him when he was actually home.

Her son and his friends were constantly on the news and featured daily in the newspaper. But finding them to meet them in person wasn't so easy. Sure she'd heard people talk and say that sometimes they were at the Pier or the Central Park or at the most popular pizza place in town, but whenever she'd gone to scope out these places they were gone.

It was just her bad luck, or maybe it was good luck, depending on how she looked at it. She was running away from them, and when it came to the secret criminal cabal the Court of Owls, she assumed that they would be expecting her to head straight for where her son was. That was what they wanted, they wanted Dick to find them, so they could drag him into their world and make him their murderous puppet.

She would be fine, Titans Tower could wait, it would always be there, Haly's Circus could not. It had arrived today with much fanfare in the paper and the local television station. She had a limited amount of time to find the answers, and she'd have to do it while it was shut down with everyone asleep, and since Jump City was a superhero town they had been provided with alarms to summon the Titans 24/7.

She'd have to find her answers and do it fast. She was trying to sleep during the day, to reserve her strength for that night, but unfortunately, the steel-toed boots she saw belonged to someone that didn't want that to happen.

"What are you doing here, young lady?" Slade asked.

"Now you are flattering me by calling me a young lady Mister…"

"Slade," he said flatly.

"Well Mister Slade, I can't exactly call the cops, I don't have a cellphone and it's not like I can give them directions to an abandoned supervillain lair, besides, it's not like they'll believe me about seeing you because well—everyone thinks I'm dead."

"Interesting, but what's that got to do with me letting you walk out of here?" Slade asked. He knew who she was, he knew exactly who she was, after all, he'd taken an interest in her son, so he'd seen her picture.

"I have to get revenge, I'm sure that's something someone like you would understand," Mary said simply.

"Revenge, interesting, why don't you come work for me? I have resources," he suggested.

"No, that's not going to do someone like you any good, I don't have anything I can offer you," Mary told him bluntly.

"You're a beautiful woman, you have _plenty_ to offer," Slade laughed.

"Not for some supervillain, besides, sex with someone like you isn't free, or even for fun, there are always strings," Mary smiled, "Besides, you're not _actually_ interested in me that way. I'm not what a man would want, not anymore."

"I work hard _and_ play hard, but I know you're stalling, Grayson," Slade replied.

"Ah, so you do know who I am, did you ever see me perform?"

"Long time ago, in another lifetime," Slade looked at her.

"I figured I'd screw up and get killed by somebody, didn't think it'd be the guy that everyone whispers about in this city. I thought my luck would run out with the Court finding me first."

"The Court, interesting, tell me more," Slade kept his eye on her. "You've piqued my interest."

"My information isn't going to save my life, it's not even worth a lot of money," Mary sighed.

"It's worth a night with you, that's what I decided," Slade smirked.

"There's some reason you're being very insistent and it's not your libido," Mary told him.

"You don't have to worry about a thing, you can't get pregnant, I'm sterile," Slade answered.

"You're a stranger to me, but that's not what this is about is it?" Mary raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, but it doesn't matter, I'll give you what your info's worth nothing more," Slade sneered.

"Sorry, not interested in going out with a bang," Mary returned his smirk with her own.

He could tell she was getting ready to run away, without turning around, she was clever, he would give her that.

"Mary," Slade glanced at her.

"I'll be going now, I'll leave you to do, whatever it was you were doing," Mary backed away.

"Give me my wallet," his voice was flat, but he couldn't help but be impressed, it had been in his front pouch, the fact that he hadn't noticed impressed him.

"Now you are going to kill me," she said, giving him his wallet and waiting for the inevitable. The blade never came down, the bullet never fired.

"You've impressed me, not an easy thing to do, a shame your son inherited none of your talents."

"I didn't come here to impress you, I came to get some sleep," Mary looked at him, wondering when he was going to pull the trigger.

"How like your son you are, you should show me some gratitude," Slade lowered his gun.

"This is about him, is it? What do you want from him, and what's it have to do with me?"

"Let's just say I've…taken an interest in you. You and I are so very much alike."

"I'm nothing like you, don't flatter yourself!" Mary snapped at him.

"I'm very grateful, but you'll just have to be disappointed, you can't always get what you want, but I'm not a superhero, I have no interest in interfering with your plans, that's above my pay grade."

"I have no intention of killing you," he told her. "Kids shouldn't be without their mother, so you get to live."

"And if I want you to leave my son alone you'd do that?" Mary asked.

"For a price, of course," Slade knew she understood _exactly_ what he meant.

"You're looking at a broke circus artist that can't even afford to buy you a cheeseburger."

"You pay with your body."

"We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he 'wants a woman.' Strictly speaking, a woman is just what he does not want. He wants a pleasure for which a woman happens to be the necessary piece of apparatus. How much he cares about the woman as such may be gauged by his attitude to her five minutes after fruition—one does not keep the carton after one has smoked the cigarettes."

"Clever girl," he smirked.

"Not really, that's C.S. Lewis," Mary sighed.

"How interesting, but you'll be back, you should be flattered that I've taken an interest in you rather than your son."

"If you think you're the first man I've met that's been obsessed with me you'd be wrong. Sorry to disappoint you Slade, but you don't get what you want this time."

She backed out slowly, leaving him alone.

Slade chuckled to himself, "I'm going to let her run around for a while, she'll give me what I want, one way or another."

* * *

Mary Grayson waited until all was quiet at Haly's Circus. The lights were out and the crowds were gone. It saddened her that the place had never been able to recover after her murder, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

She watched Pop Haly enter his trailer and shut the door. Mary slipped over to the storage baggage train and picked the lock on the door, looking for a flashlight. She'd been spying on Pop all day; he'd actually talked to a member of the Court, a beautiful blonde-haired woman.

Mary knew her well enough: Samantha Vanaver, a rich and powerful socialite, recently moved from Gotham City. She was the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls and had overseen her resurrection and the attempt to break her.

Rich people like her sickened Mary, they felt they were entitled to rule over everyone because they had money. They promised the world but did nothing except extract profit from people while funneling money to their charities to look good.

Most of the "First Families" of Gotham were like that, the Cobblepots, the Crownes, the Eliots. There was only one exception, the Waynes.

Mary had seen with her own eyes that the Waynes cared, she'd performed at so many of their charity events that several of the soup kitchens were still running. Every night after the charity event Wayne would take a group of performers to see his charities in action, it was enough for her.

Mary had taken notice of the news story regarding an ongoing feud among the Crowne family about who was to receive Ameilia Crowne's wealth and estate after she died, but none of them could prove that they were descended from the oldest sibling of the Crowne family.

But all the current family squabbles over Amelia Crowne's fortune didn't matter, because she knew that the money rightfully belonged to Dick since William's son was Amelia's firstborn child, William had taken him from the house and given him into the care of Nathaniel Haly.

She made her way to the center ring, putting her right foot forward first when entering the big tent, a circus superstition.

Looking around, she searched for the heart of the circus, the one place where they'd be able to hide a small book. She found the spot immediately and removed the book of names from it. It was just like Samantha Vanaver had told Mister Haly.

She got what she came for, she was done here. She had to get out of there before they showed up—

Mary Grayson tucked the small book away and carefully placed the wooden slot back in its place. It was then that she heard a shocked shriek of terror.

Mary glanced up and saw a familiar face staring at her in horror. It was Raya Vestri, a childhood friend of Dick's and she'd seen her. Speaking to her was out of the question, Mary had been wise enough to keep her face hidden or Raya would have probably been even more panicked. There was a sound and suddenly a red light began blinking.

Mary noticed an object had the symbol of the Teen Titans on it. She didn't have time for this, this would be bad for so many reasons, and her son wasn't one of them. She'd already lingered too long at Haly's and the Court was looking for her. She had to get out and get away now.

Mary kicked up dust as she sprinted out of the entrance, expecting to see an army of men and women, clad in brown and black, wielding various weapons, ready to kill her.

Instead, she saw the Titans as she'd seen them in the papers. Her son's arms were crossed with a serious expression on his face.

"The floss joint's closed, you know," Robin remarked, using circus terms to refer to the cotton candy stand.

Mary resisted the urge to laugh, he knew her voice and she wasn't ready for this reunion yet. She could keep him safe by staying away from him for now.

Suddenly, a bunch of Slade bots dropped into view, standing beside her.

This looked so bad right now. Mary knew Dick would get the wrong idea and assume she was working for him.

"Slade, you finally came back! I'm still ready!" Robin shouted.

Mary took off running; she'd always been good at getting away.

"Titans, get her, I'll handle Slade," Robin brandished his staff.

"You're so curious aren't you Robin? Wondering why I've set my sights on someone more interesting than you. It'll be entertaining watching you unravel all the clues."

"You don't help anyone without an ulterior motive? What's in it for you?"

"Watching you squirm," Slade said, launching a flurry of kicks and punches.

"Bring it, asshole!" Robin snarled.

The fight was vicious but quick, Robin was surprised that Slade was running away, but perhaps that was to distract him so that he wouldn't pursue his new apprentice.

Slade slammed a booted foot into his gut. Robin staggered back, he retaliated with a flurry of punches that pushed Slade back. Robin felt Slade's knee smash his face and he managed to somersault, righting himself and landing on his feet.

Slade beat him over the head with a staff, Robin managed to ward off the blows, he kicked Slade hard enough to crack a rib, the mercenary villain managed to ignore the pain and slammed his masked face into Robin's skull.  
"Is she your new apprentice?" Robin demanded.

"No, but you do seem so curious, why don't you chase her, it'd be far more interesting. But she has caught my interest."

"Anything that interests you is something that I need to deal with," Robin retorted.

"Then go ahead, you need something better to chase," Slade smirked, he threw down smoke pellets and ran away.

Robin let out a frustrated growl, this wasn't good. His greatest enemy was loose again and something was going on and Robin didn't like it one bit.

* * *

Mary sprinted away was the other Titans followed her. Raven tried to grab her with her powers but Mary managed to leap over them. Cyborg scored a hit on her and she stumbled forward but somersaulted and regained her balance as the teen's mouth dropped open.

He'd seen that maneuver before, Robin had done it dozens and dozens of times. Who was she?

She leaped and jumped up the fire escape and they corner her on the roof.

"Do not move!" Starfire shouted.

The woman looked behind her and turned around. The wind suddenly blew back her hood and revealed her face. She leaped off the building and disappeared into the night.

"Wait!" Raven shouted. She recognized the woman; she'd seen her before in Robin's memories.

"Raven, you've gone pale, what is it?" Beast Boy asked.

"That woman was Robin's mother!"

"Say what?!" Cyborg gawked.

"I've seen her before, in Robin's memories, we've all seen her picture in the Evidence Room."

"Just in case, I managed to get her DNA from the railing," Cyborg held up an evidence packet.

"Didn't Robin say his parents' DNA is a secret and only he and Batman have the samples?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, but if she did come back, why would she be working for Slade?" Beast Boy asked.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence, he just happened to show up when she was there," Raven theorized.

"But if it is really her, would she not try to see Robin?" Starfire asked.

"The whole thing is a mystery, how did she come back?" Raven glanced at the spot where she had disappeared. They spread out to search for her, but she was long gone.

"Robin's going to have even more work; he took up the case of that missing reporter, right?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, he just disappeared while out walking, his workplace said he was going to blow the lid on a bunch of wealthy people in the city," Cyborg remembered.

"Something big is going on and we're caught in the middle of it," Raven sighed.

"And it all seems to be centered on Robin," Beast Boy added, "It's too weird."

"Let's go back, we need to help Robin," Cyborg suggested, they turned and ran back towards their leader. Mary Grayson would have to wait.

* * *

Mary found her way to the building across from the city hall. She rested her back against the concrete. She'd succeeded in finding what she needed. Now she would rest, she'd accomplished her goal.

"Mary, are you all right?" a voice asked from the darkness.

"Richard, is that you?" she asked quietly, he was the last person she expected to see.

His dark hair and dark skin made him blend in with the darkness; you wouldn't know he was there if it weren't for his golden eyes that gleamed in the dark. They had been a lot of things together, performers, and friends, significant others, thieves, but that life was gone, she'd left that life behind her, and her feelings for him when she met and married John Grayson.

Yet he always came back to her, he never stopped watching her from the darkness. She'd asked him to not interfere with her life and he'd acquiesced but she always knew he was there.  
Except for one night, the night she died, she never saw him during the entire day, but now wasn't the time to bring that up.

"Mary, I can finally keep my promise and protect you, the Court of Owls won't get in my way."

"You're a thief, Richard. They're an army of assassins with rich and powerful backers; you're as good as dead fighting them."

"You're fighting in your own way or you wouldn't be trying to find their nests," Richard retorted. "I managed to steal the tech that will give me the advantage."

He stepped out where she could see him. All the color drained out of her face.

"You stole Slade's suit," she felt the dread knot in her stomach. "He'll kill you."

"He's welcome to try, but I'm not that easy to kill. I'm quite good at killing people myself. He can't have you, that's not for him to decide."

"It's not for you to decide either Richard, we haven't been together for a long time."

"I know, you broke it off a long time ago," Richard smiled sadly. "Why'd you name your son after me?"

"Helping you was one of the few good things I've ever done. I wanted to remember how I helped you. You're not the father of my son, you keep living in the past, I keep moving forward. Did you find _her?"_

"Mary, you can't keep looking for her, if she finds you she'll kill you," Richard looked at her. "You can't save her."

"They took her from our trailer when she was six months old. We could never find her. She's a puppet of Samantha Vanaver, she can still get out," Mary glanced at him. "She only believes what her aunt tells her."

"Do you think she'll meet Dick?" Richard asked.

"Probably, Samantha Vanaver is donating a big paycheck funding Titans Tower for the next two years," Mary nodded. "All Hell's going to break loose."

* * *

Slade had disappeared again. Robin slapped his fist into his palm. He'd gotten away again. He saw the other Titans reappear.

"Did you find her?" Robin asked.

"Robin, I have something to tell you, that woman that we chased, it was your mother," Raven said.

"Raven, what do you mean? My mother's dead!"

"It was her Robin, I promise, I wouldn't lie to you about that!"

"I'm not saying you're lying, but how did she come back? She's been dead for years!"

"I don't know, she didn't talk to us," Raven replied.

Robin unclenched the fist he didn't know he made.

"I got a DNA sample off the railing," Cyborg told him.

"Then I need to get started on it now—" Robin turned to head back to the Tower.

"We don't have time to return to the Tower, that big event is going to start in half an hour. Samantha Vanaver's donating money to Titans Tower and we have to be there to accept the check," Cyborg reminded him.

"Oh," Robin groaned, "That's the last place I want to be right now. Let's go, we'll just have to do this later."

They headed over to the city hall and they were told that the preparations weren't quite ready yet.

Robin and the others waited outside, Beast Boy and Cyborg were talking about movies and videogames and Raven and Starfire were talking about the latest books they had been reading.

Robin was by himself. He stared at the doors. This was the last place that he wanted to be. Raven had dropped a bombshell on him, his mother was alive. Cyborg said he had her DNA; Robin needed to verify it for sure before he started scouring the city for her.

There was also the case of this missing reporter he was working on. He knew he needed to prioritize the reporter, but his mother was out there somewhere and he needed to find her.

"This is the last place I want to be," a voice groaned.

"Tell me about it," Robin blurted in frustration.

"Is that something Jump City's hero is supposed to say?" the voice asked in a teasing tone.

"Oh, sorry, just thinking out loud," Robin laughed. "I'm Robin, I'm the—"

"—the leader of the Teen Titans, the Boy Wonder, Gotham's Laughing Daredevil," the young woman replied. She was two years older than him, being 20-years old and had blonde hair and brown eyes. She was smiling at him, but Dick had been trained to observe people and immediately noticed that the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Nobody's called me the Laughing Daredevil in years; you live in Gotham with your Aunt Samantha Vanaver, correct?"

"Your skills as an ace detective aren't just stories then," the young woman seemed impressed. But where are my manners, I'm Rachel Vanaver, it's nice to meet you, Robin."

"I've seen pictures of you and your aunt in the _Gotham Gazette_. It's nice to meet you, Rachel," Robin extended his hand. He noticed Rachel's fist slowly unclenched and she shook it.

He observed her intense gaze and noticed how she kept clenching her fists. What she said and her body language were at odds with each other. He could practically feel the anger emanating from her. Robin knew Raven could feel it in waves and Robin saw the empath glance in their direction.

"If you'll excuse me, Rachel, I need to get back to the others, if you want I can introduce you," Robin offered.

"No, it can wait, Robin, maybe later," she turned away and walked inside.

Samantha Vanaver met her niece at the door; she took the young woman into another room, "You seem to be having fun, Rachel."

"I met him; he makes me want to vomit. They forgot all about me, started over with their perfect son. Needless to say, I never liked being replaced. He's wearing a replica of that uniform that Mom made for him, he looks like such a loser, yet all the girls crush so hard on him and swoon. He even has a girlfriend."

"Can you kill him?" Samantha Vanaver asked. "You know better than to disobey the Grandmaster. I'm the only family you have; Mary Grayson abandoned you when you were six months old. I took you in and became your family."

"No, problem, great-grandpa William Cobb taught me how to fight; he was trained by a man that holds him back too much. I'm gonna kill him all right, Mom's gonna have a front-row seat to watch!"

"You should contact Slade, he'll be willing to help, he's pocket change when it comes to our funds."

"I'm not working with that freak, I work alone!" Rachel snapped.

"Now do put on a good show and behave yourself, after all, we don't want them suspecting anything. You're going to gain their trust and get on the team, then you can kill him when he least expects it."

"Aunt Samantha, do you read the papers, that plan won't work, after the "Terra" incident they refuse to induct new members to live at Titans Tower. I'm just going to do this the old fashioned way."

"Be discreet, Rachel, it's why the Court of Owls has remained a secret for centuries. You know the punishment for failure."

"You'll put me on ice in the bottom of Arkham Asylum, I know, I know," Rachel Vanaver rolled her eyes.

"No, Rachel Grayson, we'll have your successor slit your throat and we won't bring you back! And if everything goes according to plan, it will be Dick Grayson!" Samantha Vanaver snapped in a cold voice. She relished seeing the color drain out of Rachel's already pale face.

"Besides, the bombs we implanted in your eyes should be a good motivator for you to do exactly as we say," Samantha Vanaver pulled her into a hug.

"That's reserved for freaks like the Gotham Butcher, Felix Harmon, I've always done everything you asked!"

"I know you'd kill me if you got the chance," Samantha sneered.

"Beaten at my own game," Rachel snarled, she clenched her fists until she bled black electrum-infused blood.

"Don't flatter yourself; you were never even a player! Now go out there and do your job," Samantha Vanaver mocked her.

Rachel Vanaver turned and left, "I'll see you later, Aunt Samantha."

Samantha Vanaver stepped out and extended her hand, "Robin, I'm Samantha Vanaver, I'm very excited to donate funds to keep the Titans here protecting Jump City."

"We're very honored that you'd come all the way from Gotham City to do this for us," Robin said formally.

"I have a summer house, it's not that big of a deal, really," she smiled at him.

She ushered Robin on stage and he gave a speech about how honored he was that Miss Vanaver was paying the Tower's bills. He'd make sure to live up to the expectations they all had that the Titans would continue to protect the city.

The audience applauded and he stepped down, quickly finding the others.

"Dude, get me out of here, there is so much bad Joo Joo in this room, and I'm not even an empath like Raven!" Beast Boy hissed under his breath.

"I have the "bad vibes" here too; everyone makes me uncomfortable, none of it feels "normal", yes?" Starfire added.

"I sense a lot of hostile emotions emanating from people that say they want to help us, they're all hiding something. Everyone in this room," Raven crossed her arms.

"I've been scanning all of them, they come up clean," Cyborg added in a low voice.

"They're rich; they can pay to come up clean on any criminal background check. I'm still investigating that missing reporter, said he was going to blow the lid on a lot of wealthy people in the city," Robin stated.

"Raven, did you sense Rachel Vanaver's emotions?" Robin asked.

"Yes, she's unstable and…she hates you," Raven said.

"Raven, don't you mean us? I mean, sometimes people hate us," Beast Boy corrected her.

"No, Beast Boy, this is specifically about him, she tried to hide it but she might as well have made a giant neon sign and stuck it on her head, it was that obvious to me."

"She gave it away with her body language, I can't think of anything I could have done to her, I'd remember upsetting or angering a civilian while on duty."

"Her Aunt Samantha Vanaver seems nice," Beast Boy said.

"They all seem nice, but if that's true, why are we all uncomfortable here?" Robin asked, not expecting an answer.

"Careful, little Robin, people like her are always wearing masks," a voice spoke to him.

Robin turned and saw his mother; sitting slouched against the side of the front door, being ignored by rich guests going in and out of the building. She raised her yellow hood, just enough for him to see her face.

She was dressed in his colors, a yellow hoodie that was raised up and she wore green pants. She looked thinner than Robin remembered, but he was in public and couldn't show any indication that he knew her, it was too dangerous, people might start asking questions if they saw him interacting with her.

"I need some fresh air, I'll be back in 10 minutes," he called. Everyone milled about and ignored them. Good, that was what he needed.

"Keep them distracted," he murmured to the other Titans. They nodded and mingled with the crowd. He stepped outside, heading around the side of the building. He stopped as he felt a pair of hands rest on his shoulders.

"You can turn around son, it's okay," Mary told him.

He didn't need the DNA test to prove it was her, her gestures and the sound of her voice was enough to prove to him that she was real, and in front of him, but how long had she been back?

"You're taller than me now; you look so handsome, just like your father. Have you seen him?" Mary asked.

"No, I've not seen him," Robin replied.

She looked crestfallen.

"Do me a favor, Robin," she rested her hand on his R insignia, just like she had when he was little.

"I can't find the 13th floor of Wayne Enterprises," Mary told him.

"The 13th floor?" Robin asked surprised.

"They're hiding something on the 13th floor," Mary told him. "They've invaded everything. They're everywhere."

"I'll do my best," Robin told her. "Who are they?"

_"Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head."_

Robin knew the rhyme and given it little thought throughout his hero career but he never investigated it. Batman hadn't found proof of their existence but she was back from the dead of all things, and something was going on.

"I have to go, son, see you down the road, Robin," Mary told him.

"See you down the road, go to the Tower, the door will open for you."

"I can't go yet, I have things to do," Mary told him.

"How am I supposed to find you?" Robin asked.  
  
"You won't find me, I'll find you," she told him.

She hugged him tightly, "I'm very proud of you."

Robin felt the lump in his throat.

She let him go and slipped into the darkness. Robin turned around and headed back inside, this was going to be a long night.


	2. The 13th Floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin investigates the 13th Floor of Wayne Enterprises and sees a mysterious girl. Mary has a run-in with Red X. Raven visits Haly's Circus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rachel Grayson isn’t a character I made up, she appeared in a Justice League Comic as part of the “Forever Evil” event comic and was Dick’s sister, she only showed up to die the same way the Flying Graysons’ do in their original timeline. The only difference is that on Earth-3 Owlman killed the Graysons instead of Zucco because John Grayson murdered Zucco (he was a clown) and took over the circus and ran a money-laundering business through it, the Graysons blackmailed the acts there.

Mary Grayson watched as her son Dick turned around and headed back into City Hall. He’d become a hero now, using his talents to help people and protect the city.

It was time she left before security noticed her so she got up and left. She’d seen what she’d wanted to see. Richard was gone, he said he had his own business to attend to and she didn’t ask what it was.

Mary curled up next to a swanky hotel; it was where wealthy visitors to Jump City stayed. She was looking for anyone that might be connected to the Court of Owls staying there, after all, they would congregate and meet each other even outside of their shadowy cabal business, so looking for the people in the photographs she found wouldn’t hurt, even if she didn’t know their faces.

Was she overreaching? Would someone become suspicious and catch her?

_"Keep reaching…but when you reach, know what you're reaching for! Be sure of yourself and you can never reach too far!"_

Mary took a deep breath, the last time she’d needed to reach for something she’d been too short, and it had killed her.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. She wasn’t being nosy, she was just people watching. Rich people wouldn’t give her the time of day, she was just watching customers enter and exit a hotel.

She saw an older man entering with a woman. She would be prettier if it weren’t for the three long scars on her face. She seemed eager to get to their room, and it wasn’t for the room service.

There was something about that man that was familiar. He wore an eye patch and something about his height and build made her think of someone, someone she’d rather not think about.

It was several minutes before Mary heard a voice coming from above her head.

 _“Slade, sweetie, please!”_ the voice pleaded loudly.

 _“So you intend to play hard do you?”_ Slade asked.

Mary jerked her head up, craning her neck around. The curtain was open and well, she got an eyeful. It was _quite_ apparent what they were doing and well, that wasn’t something she’d wanted to see. 

She frowned, he didn’t seem like the type to let a woman do whatever she wanted when it came to relations, but then again, it could be him manipulating her into thinking she was in charge or it could be just making sure she did what he wanted when it came to his _other_ activities.

Still, “Sweetie” was the last term of endearment she thought of when it came to the most wanted criminal in Jump City. Calling the Titans was an option, but Slade would probably leave the hotel room by the time they got there anyway. And who knew if the clerk would give them the room number, Slade probably used an alias in the first place.

If he had himself a “friend with benefits” although she doubted they were _actually_ friends, then why was he so interested in her? Maybe it was his way of messing with her head.

Mary got up and left, there were some things in life she didn’t want to see, her son’s nemesis and his Russian squeeze were one of them. It was time to make herself scarce before Slade decided to enjoy the view out of his window after he was done “playing hard”.

She walked off into the night, leaving them behind. She had something important to do, and she couldn’t afford to be distracted.

* * *

Red X was in such a great mood tonight. The heist had gone off without a hitch. And the Titans hadn’t shown up, he’d planned it perfectly, thanks to the news report that the goodie-two-shoes heroes would be at some swanky party at City Hall, he’d been able to rob the lab without them showing up as soon as possible.

But he had a feeling that this might not turn out how he liked.

Red X saw a woman walking down the alleyway. She was alone, but she didn’t look like she had anything valuable on her, but she did have her hands in her pockets, maybe she had a wallet full of cash.

There was also something about her that was intriguing. She might make a good mark.

Red X dropped down in front of her. The woman stared at him, stepping back.

“Give me your wallet!”

“That’s interesting, I’ve never been robbed by a dress-up before,” Mary smiled mischievously. “I thought you big shots go for banks and high-security targets. Who are you?”

“If you’re gonna give a statement to the cops, tell them Red X robbed you. Nothing personal, just looking out for Number One,” Red X told her, stepping forward, holding up a tube of red liquid. “Just a perfect way to top off the evening.”

“If you hesitate, some bolder hand will stretch out before you and get the prize. P.T. Barnum,” Mary quoted.

He fired off a string of X-shaped shuriken at her. She avoided them and made a move to grab the Xenothium.

“I don’t mind crossing lines, aren’t you afraid of dying?” Red X asked.

“I’ve seen the face of Death, she’s beautiful and there’s nothing to be afraid of. She took me into the mystery.”

The thief fired a few shots of Xenothium, taking the form of X-shaped blades, sharp enough to sever her neck and separate it from her head. 

“You and your gadgets!” Mary taunted him, somersaulting over him, reaching for the clear glass tube in his hand.

Red X managed to dodge her hand as she swiped at the Xenothium ore, the fuel that powered his suit. He delivered a swift kick to her gut, which she accepted with a grunt and somehow to his surprise, righted herself in midair and landed on her feet. She leaped up the fire escape, heading to the roof.

“What?!” he exclaimed in surprise.

Red X stared down, and here he’d assumed she’d been going for the Xenothium, instead, she’d stolen his belt and without any of Robin’s fancy gadgets. He’d assumed that Robin’s abilities were just a fluke. 

She was good, she kept moving to keep him guessing, she knew how to avoid any attempt he made to get his hand inside her pants pocket. Either she was one of those people that trained for these situations, or she was very good at stealing herself.

He followed her up to the roof.

The thief stared at the woman in surprise, why was she wearing his colors and why did seeing her remind him of the Titans’ goodie-two-shoes leader?

The woman tossed the belt into the air and caught it casually. Mary Grayson glanced at him.

“Theft, it is an especially sweet vice. More elegant than vandalism and more complex than simple robbery, a beautiful blend of secrets and crime and mischief and fear. Like dear Heathcliff, I am defined by my all-consuming passion. Stealing is my greatest carnal pleasure, a pleasure for which I will risk my life,” Mary smiled at him.

“Heathcliff?” Red X was confused.

“You kids don’t read classic literature anymore, so of course you wouldn’t get the reference.”

Red X crossed his arms, he was impressed. She had skills but why wasn’t she some big-name criminal if she was this good?

“You’re good, how come I’ve never heard of you?” Red X asked.

Mary gazed at the belt.

“I quit a long time ago. I found someone who made me happy. Someone who told me I could be better than I was. We loved each other and we were content and happy. That happiness was…stolen from me. I’m not supposed to be here, but I am. There are some that want to drag me back into my old life, but if they take me down into that place, I’ll never come back.”

Red X gestured to her, “So tell me lady, who are you?”

"I'm not a gumball machine, Red X. You don't get to just twist the handle whenever you want a treat."

Mary turned and leaped off the building, disappearing into the night, leaving a stunned Red X to wonder what he was supposed to do without a utility belt.

* * *

Robin reentered City Hall, smiling and shaking hands; his face did not betray the swirl of emotions going through his head at the reunion with his mother.

He knew that it should be impossible for her to come back. They didn’t know anyone that could resurrect the dead. No one he knew at Haly’s Circus had the skills to do it. 

So the reason for her return was a mystery to him. He felt so overwhelmed with emotion that he could barely keep his composure, but she’d warned him about the people at City Hall, throwing this gala for the Teen Titans.

She had asked him to look into the Wayne Enterprises building so as soon as this was over he was going to do just that.

“Thank you so much for coming!” Samantha Vanaver smiled at Robin as he greeted the guests.

“We do appreciate the support,” Robin smiled. Just what was she hiding?

He didn’t see Rachel Vanaver, she’d disappeared.

He was about to go look for her when his Communicator alarm rang.

“Sorry everyone, duty calls!” he shouted. The wealthy donors began clapping as the Titans gathered together and rushed out the door.

“Titans, I’m going to Wayne Enterprises, you can handle The Amazing Mumbo without me!” Robin instructed.

“Dude, we need all the help we can get!” Beast Boy protested.

“My Mom’s instructions for me to search Wayne Enterprises are my highest priority, besides, it’s empty right now so it’s the best time for me to look.”

“We understand, Robin,” Starfire told him.

“Just be careful, okay,” Raven warned him. The other Titans separated to chase down The Amazing Mumbo.

Robin made his way to the Wayne Enterprises building, grappling up to a nearby gargoyle, he found the “13th floor”. The building was based on one of Alan Wayne’s designs, which meant it didn’t actually have a 13th floor, but it had an empty space where the 13th floor should have been. He entered the building on the 14th floor and using his birdarang sword he cut a circular hole in the floor and dropped down into the empty space.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed. This was definitely not what he was expecting. The room was full of equipment, costumes, and weapons. There was a picture of a group of masked people with a masked costumed figure wearing an owl-shaped mask over his face, large lenses covered their eyes. The photo had the year 2016 on it.

Robin began carefully examining the room he’d found. There was a large computer screen with a state-of-the-art PC hooked up to it. There were sets of weights, a lot of body dummies, and dumbbells scattered across the floor.

Robin used his flashlight to peer up at the ceiling and saw an owl-shaped glider attached to the ceiling.

He began recording everything with the camera built into his mask; Batman had something similar inside his mask. Robin needed to document all of this and try to trace where all this equipment came from.

Robin took a step forward to move into the room.

“What are you doing here?” a voice asked in a casual tone.

Robin looked up and saw a pretty young woman; she might have been his age. She had black hair and was dressed in a Goth shirt and wore shorts. She was wearing a black top hat. He noted that she wore an ankh around her neck. She was holding a black umbrella in her hand by the handle, which didn’t make sense at midnight.

“You should leave, it might be dangerous here,” Robin replied, giving her a smile. He didn’t understand why he didn’t feel any fear seeing her there, it felt like he’d seen her a lot, although he couldn’t recall exactly where.

“You do smile at me a lot, ever since you were four years old. Still a member of the Fearless Flying Graysons I see,” she replied. “Are you sure you should be here?”

Robin was startled; she shouldn’t know that about him. He suddenly looked down; he stared in surprise as his feet triggered a tripwire. 

Robin jerked his head up to warn the girl to leave but to his shock, she was gone.

He had his own problems to worry about now. 

He leaped towards the exit, firing his grappling hook into a building and launching himself away just as the fireball erupted.

He wrapped his fireproof cape around himself, shielding himself from the flames. He fired his grappling hook again to pull himself further away from the building. He managed to land safely on the nearby building.

He stepped forward and looked down. Once again, he spotted the mysterious Goth girl looking up at him, she gave him a strange smile and walked off, holding her umbrella.

Robin slapped his fist into his palm, he’d just stumbled on something big and now it had literally gone up in flames, but he had a lead, Wayne Enterprises and hopefully, he’d be able to get to the bottom of what was going on in his city.

* * *

The next day, Raven wandered through Jump City, making her way to Haly’s Circus out of curiosity. She grabbed some money out of her wallet and prepared to pay for a ticket when she saw a kindly older man walk up to her.

“You’re Raven, aren’t you Miss?” he asked.

“Yes, and you are?” Raven replied.

“I’m Garrison Haly, owner of the circus. I’m happy that you’ve decided to visit us. These passes are for you and your friends,” he handed her five tickets.

“Passes?” Raven was confused.

“Free tickets, it’s on the house,” he smiled, “Besides, the publicity of your attendance will draw people here.”

“Thank you, I’ll give these to the others,” Raven smiled at him.

Raven began walking away.

She felt a presence walking beside her. She turned to see the figure she’d seen outside City Hall keeping pace with her, she had the yellow hood pulled up over her face.

“Mrs. Grayson,” Raven greeted her in a low voice.

“Just call me Mary, Raven. My name’s common enough that no one will care.”

“Are you worried about being recognized here? You are famous in these circles aren’t you?”

“As long as I keep my hood up and don’t do anything acrobatic, I’m just another patron. The kinkers are all too busy working to notice me.”

“Kinkers?”

“It’s Circus slang for performers. I know I should stay away because I could be recognized but I wanted to see the place. It’s strange, I still know where our trailer should be,” Mary looked ahead.

“Why haven’t you come to the Tower?” Raven asked.

“Looking for John, it’s complicated but we had to split up after getting away from _them_ ,” Mary glanced around.

“Speaking of _them_ , Robin looked into Wayne Enterprises, just like you asked.”

“Did he find anything?” 

“Yes he did, apparently, someone had a fancy secret hiding place full of costumes, weapons, and equipment, he wanted to investigate more but he triggered a tripwire and it blew up.”

“Bruce Wayne must be tired of his building’s blowing up, it seems to happen to him a lot, at least that’s what I hear on the news.” Mary looked at her, “You called to me and told me to wait. You recognized me even though I’ve never seen you before.”

“I have seen you in Robin’s memories, I had to go into his mind once, because he was seeing Slade when he wasn’t there, so I had to confirm what he was seeing and I saw your death, even for a second.”

“I see, so you’re gifted, some people in our circus are gifted, but I suppose normal people wouldn’t be able to tell, it is a circus and all. Dick’s friend Willow could do magic. I do remember the fortuneteller Missy read my fortune the night of my death, she said it was bad. She also taught Dick to read Tarot cards. I have never believed in fate or destiny, but I did note she was serious. It was strange, Romani don’t read each other their fortunes, that’s for everyone else.”

“I didn’t know he could read Tarot cards,” Raven raised an eyebrow.

“He only knows how to do it, never saw him do it himself,” Mary smiled a little. “He preferred acrobatics anyway, more exciting.”

Mary looked at her, “Could we go somewhere to talk?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“The top of the Soho building, there’s a nice view from up there.”

Raven was surprised, “After your death, you still have no fear of heights?”

“I never had it; I was an acrobat from an early age.” 

They made their way to the Soho building and went up to the roof.

“People say you can use magic, Raven, do you know anything about raising the dead?” Mary asked.

“Only what I’ve read in books, that it’s very difficult,” Raven replied.

“I see, I still don’t understand why the Court of Owls would bring us back, it doesn’t make sense,” Mary pondered her observation.

“The Court of Owls?” Raven asked.

“You’re not from Gotham are you?”

Raven shook her head.

_"Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head."_

“It’s supposedly a nursery rhyme to scare children, but they’re real, I know that from firsthand experience.”

Mary sighed, “Don’t worry about them; I’ll explain everything once I find John. How’s Robin been since you’ve known him, you can sense emotions, right?”

“He’s been fine for the most part, he doesn’t stress himself out too often, but he’s been happier since you’ve come back. I’ve never felt him feel that way before.”

“I’m glad he’s been all right without me, that makes me glad. But on to another subject, I have to ask, why are you wearing a top hat?” Mary looked amused.

“Oh, the hat, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and I had to stop The Amazing Mumbo while Robin went to check out Wayne Enterprises. This is his magic hat; I’m going to take it back to the Evidence Room at the Tower. Why do you ask?”

Mary seemed wistful, “It reminds me of her. She wears a top hat. It surprised me, didn’t expect her to wear one.”

“Her?” Raven was curious.

“Death the Endless, she wears a top hat,” Mary smiled. “You’d like her, she’s a beautiful woman. She dresses in Goth clothing, wears an ankh around her neck. Death carries a black umbrella when she travels through the sunless lands. She’s very kind and surprisingly cheerful. She laughs, but she’s not mean-spirited. I didn’t think Death laughing would be calming or reassuring. But she did reassure me that Dick would be okay, and so I was able to accept that I was dead. I didn’t want to leave him behind.”

“I see, that’s interesting, of all things, Death is a Goth with a top hat and an umbrella!” Raven laughed. 

“Strange huh, but then again, the world is full of extraordinary things. She guided us to our appropriate afterlife. The Presence is good to us, Heaven’s nice and all, but I missed him, and he’s too stubborn to give up and die, which is good, it means he’ll live a good long life. But he did scare me; I thought Death would bring him over when he was hallucinating in the Titans Tower basement. I think he might have seen her. He almost bought the farm that night.”

“I remember that night, I got socked in the face by Slade’s hallucination,” Raven recalled. “I’m very glad he didn’t die. He saved my life and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“Well, I’ve got to go keep looking for my husband, I’ll see you down the road,” Mary smiled.

“Huh?” Raven was confused.

“Performers never say goodbye, they say, “see you down the road”.

“See you down the road,” Raven repeated as Mary leaped off the roof, sprinting down the wall, somersaulting down to land on the ground and sprint away.

“Whoa!” Raven murmured. Robin had pulled off that kind of stunts, “The Fearless Flying Graysons, his personality comes from his mother, huh?” 

Raven left, she had to get the tickets and the top hat to Robin, something big was going on and it seemed the Titans and especially Robin was caught up in it.

* * *

Mary disappeared into an alleyway. She was about to cross the street when someone grabbed her from behind.

“Shh!” the voice hissed in her ear.

“Who are you?” Mary demanded.

“The only person who could ever catch you,” he replied.

He turned her around and stroked her cheek with his hand.

“Mary,” he said her name.

“John!” Mary exclaimed. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“I’ve been hiding at Pier 41 at the Jump City docks,” John replied.

“I hadn’t even thought to look there!” Mary moaned.

“See Mary, that’s why I always won games of hide-and-seek against the two of you, I always went where you’d least expect me to go.”

Mary laughed.

“Are we going to see him now?” she asked.

“Yes,” John replied, “We are.”


	3. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans visit a museum to help Robin take his mind off his parents. Robin meets the girl he saw at Wayne Enterprises. Dick and his mother talk atop the Ferris wheel at the amusement park. Rachel Grayson finds the three of them as they go to meet the Titans.

“Robin, man, I know you don’t want to be here, but you really need to take your mind off things,” Cyborg told him as they walked into the museum.

“I know, but I still can’t figure out what happened to them or how they came back. I should go find them,” Robin said.

“She said she’d find you, right?” Beast Boy asked. “You just need to chill out for a little while.”

“Patience, Robin, I am sure that they are fine,” Starfire put a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him.

“She found me outside of Haly’s Circus, she asked me if I knew about resurrecting the dead. She told me she was looking for your father. She’s fine, Robin,” Raven reassured him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, Mr. Haly said for me to give you these,” she handed him the tickets.

“Thank you, we’ll head over there soon,” Robin smiled.

“Robin, please do not fret over your parents, Raven is sure that they are fine,” Starfire told him.

“We’ll go look for them later,” Cyborg added.

“Dude, you really should go rest, you were up all night trying to find out how they came back. You brought in the Justice League for crying out loud!” Beast Boy waved his arms.

“I know, but I’m not ready to sleep,” Robin said. “Let’s look around.”

They wandered the museum and found a display that the curator was describing.

“His name was Vincent Omata,” the museum curator explained. “He was from Gotham City. He was an artist that tried to paint his perfect masterpiece but was never satisfied. He was fired from his job at Arkham Asylum as the gate painter and fell into depression. He died of a drug overdose in his apartment; his cigarette caused the apartment to go up in flames, burning all this unfinished work to ash. But for some reason, one painting survived and is on display here in Jump City. We don’t have a name for the painting but here it is.”

She removed the covering from the canvas. The crowd gasped and applauded.

“Wow, she’s pretty!” Beast Boy exclaimed. 

“The painting is impressive, there is something interesting about her,” Raven observed.

“It’s just too bad about the artist though, a drug overdose, that’s just sad,” Beast Boy added.

“His work burnt up in the fire, it is truly sad, he might have made more work if he had not died,” Starfire stared at the art piece.

“He worked at Arkham, did you ever meet him?” Cyborg asked.

“Just once, he was a nervous wreck, asked if he could shake my hand, he was too scared to ask Batman. He was painting the gates when we brought back the Joker. He was a nice guy,” Robin let out a sigh. “I wish I could have helped him more. I didn’t know he was a drug addict, or that he got fired. It’s easy to forget about those people when all you chase are supervillains.” 

They looked around the museum some more. Robin told them that he would be leaving early.

There was a young woman standing across the street from the museum. Robin walked up to her, to satisfy his curiosity.

“You’re the one in Vincent Omata’s painting,” Robin smiled.

“Insightful as always, Boy Wonder. I’m on a small break right now, but I have been looking for you. You should be careful, your little adventures can get you killed,” the young lady laughed.

“What do you do for work?”

“I visit people and take them where they need to go,” she told him. “Most of the time they’re very surprised to see me. I go unnoticed by most people, but for today, there are some people I wanted to meet today, you are one of them.”

“I see.”

She wore gothic clothing; Robin noted she carried a black umbrella, despite the nice weather. She also wore a top hat and seemed very cheerful. Her smile reminded him of Starfire for some reason.

Robin was thoughtful, “I’ve seen you before. I can’t shake the feeling that you are familiar somehow.”

“You have,” the young lady smiled. “You’ve seen me on September 3rd, nine years ago, and on October 2nd, two years ago. You also saw me a few hours ago, but both those dates you remember quite well, Richard John Grayson.”

Robin stared at her, to any ordinary person, those dates wouldn’t mean anything, but to him those dates had significance. September 3rd he had almost been killed by Two-Face after the supervillain had killed Judge Hopkins and beat Robin half to death with a baseball bat. He would have died if Batman hadn’t been able to stop Two-Face.

The second date, October 2nd is the day that Robin had breathed in the dust from Slade’s mask, causing a chemical reagent to activate that had made him see, hear and feel Slade even though he wasn’t there.

The stress had nearly killed him, but Robin had deduced that Slade wasn’t really and with the last of his strength, had flipped a switch turning on the light that drove away the illusion of his nemesis before he’d been able to “finish” him.

But Dick remembered, huddling in the basement in the dark with the flickering lights, he’d seen the young woman looking at him with a curious expression on her face. She hadn’t said anything to him; he had been too focused on staring at Slade coming down the stairs.

He’d seen her somewhere before, wearing an ankh around her neck. Then Dick remembered when he was a kid at Haly’s Circus. He’d been good friends with Missy, known to patrons as “Madam Mystique” the fortuneteller. She would often read Tarot cards for customers and tell their fortunes.

Missy had a unique set of Tarot cards, one that you couldn’t buy in stores. She said it was because they were special and had been given to her as a gift for surviving a heart attack that should have killed her.

He had noted the Death arcana was not the typical picture associated with the Tarot cards, but the image was a pretty Goth lady wearing a top hat and an ankh around her neck.

“You know my name, few people know about what I do now, so you must either be someone that has known me my whole life or you’re just smart enough to figure out who I am.”

“I saw you when you were born.”

“I see, so did other people.”

“I know that your fate has been decided and written down in the book of Destiny.”

“Destiny does not exist.”

“He always gets annoyed when you say that. He’ll die when the universe ends.”

“That would make you Death the Endless.”

“Ever the sharp detective, Dick, what gave me away?”

“The Fortuneteller at a sideshow for Haly’s Circus, Missy, her stage name was Madame Mystique, she had your image as the Death arcana when she taught me how to read Tarot cards.”

“She’s a clever old lady, Missy,” Death laughed.

“How’d she survive?”

“She was resuscitated, so she did die, but I didn’t take her anywhere. She loopholed her way out.”

“I see. Where are you off to now?” Robin asked.

“I have someone I need to see. It’s not your parents.”

“You’re not taking my parents away?”

“I’m not worried, everyone sees me, eventually, even you will, someday,” Death walked away.

She turned back and smiled at him, “You’ve only got one life, so live it well and I’ll see you when your time comes. I’ll take you into the mystery.”

“To die will be an awfully big adventure,” Dick quoted J.M. Barrie.

“J.M. Barrie, he was interesting.”

“You really shouldn’t smile at me,” he chuckled.

“Why’s that?” Death asked.

“You have a smile any guy could fall for.”

“Falling in love with me is the worst idea ever. But I love everybody, even you.”

“Tell that to the Goth emo kids going through their depression phase,” Robin laughed.

“They’d be so disappointed that I don’t live up to what they think I am. They want me to carry around a scythe and stuff. Most of them have no idea what depression is like, they just want attention on social media. They give me extra work.”

“I need to get going, I am surprised you wanted to talk to me,” Robin smiled. “I have a lot of things to think about.”

* * *

Robin decided he needed to go somewhere to think so he headed to the Amusement Park, changing into civilian clothes in the restroom. He made his way up the empty Ferris wheel. He sat down to think.

His parents’ return, the Court of Owls, Samantha Vanaver, and her niece, Rachel. What were the connections and what did it have to do with him?

Dick watched the birds fly by him and enjoyed the view.

“Care for some company?” his mother said as she vaulted herself up with ease. She sat next to him on the Ferris wheel.

“Mom,” Dick smiled at her. “How’d you know I’d be here?”

“You always sat up in the Haly’s Circus Ferris wheel when you needed to be alone to think. Besides, I told you I’d find you. Nice view,” she nodded, gazing at the view.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“It’s nice and I’ve got a lot on my mind lately. Where’s dad?”

“Waiting below, I suggested he come up here instead but he said I should go.”

“I see, Do you have time to listen?”

“Of course.”

“My friends are worried about me, they say I’m starting to isolate myself and obsess over this. I was up all night trying to figure out how you both came back.”

“You’re a teenager, you’re _supposed_ to be a pain in the butt,” Mary smiled at him.

“Gee thanks,” Dick sighed.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind lately, something’s going on and it all seems to revolve around me. I don’t like it. You and dad coming back from the dead. Haly’s Circus is in town. I’m in the dark about something and I don’t know what it is, and everything’s becoming complicated.”

“Believe me, life will do that too you –relentlessly. You just have to remember that some things aren’t that complicated and never will be.”

Mary smiled at him. “I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out what’s going on.”

“How long have you two been back?”

“Six-and-a-half months, give or take,” Mary replied.

“Losing you both was hard on me, and to think I almost lost you both again because of something I don’t even know about. You and dad have been hiding, or you would have come to me right away.”

“Losing things and having them be lost are very different. It’s not that we didn’t want to come to see you, we were forced to split up, by your sister.”

“Mom, what are you talking about? Rachel’s been gone since before I was born,” Dick looked at her.

“She’s not gone, she’s alive and very insane, you met her last night in City Hall. Samantha Vanaver’s niece, Rachel Vanaver is your sister.”

Dick gave her an expression that showed confirmation not surprise.

“I suspected it, she looks just like you, but she has dad’s eyes. I thought maybe I was seeing things because there are people who are look-alikes for celebrities.”

Mary rested her hand on his shoulder. “How was she?”

“She acted very polite and acted friendly, but I could tell she was angry at me. What did I do to her?”

“She resents you for being born, Dick, she says that we didn’t care about her after I abandoned her when she was six months old. She thinks we replaced her with you and pretended she didn’t exist.”

Dick looked at his mother, “You and dad looked for her for years, every chance you guys could, dad hired Vic Sage to look for her.” 

“Have you seen Vic lately? Does he still believe that aglets are sinister?”

“Yes he does, he’s known to the world as The Question now,” Dick smiled.

“He was the only one to suspect the Court of Owls took Rachel. Everyone thought he was crazy.”

“Did he go through the trash?”

“Yes, he did, your dad thought he was overdoing it,” Mary smiled. “But he wasn’t wrong, they did take her. We were grateful he took our case, nobody believed us, especially when we said that the front door was locked when I checked on her room. It didn’t look like anyone had gotten into our house and I checked the door to make sure no one tampered with it. Even checked where we kept the spare key, it was in the same spot, and I locked the windows.”

“Mom, how did she know about me?”

“Samantha told her about you, showed her photographs, videos, gave her anecdotes, but she did take her to Haly’s Circus during our annual Gotham show. She said that we went on with our lives and that we didn’t love her. Samantha used the bond we have with you to break her and made her into what she wanted her to be.”

“What did they want her to be?”

“Someone that would be willing to kill others at the Court’s behest. Someone that would be willing to torture her own mother.”

Mary stood up and pulled up her shirt so he could see the burn scar on her lower back. It was the symbol of the Athenian owl. 

“It’s the symbol of the Court of Owls,” Mary told him.

“Mom, what did they do to you?”

“Tortured me and left me down in some giant labyrinth and let me wander around without food and only drugged water. Your sister chased me, physically and psychologically tortured me. When the Court was in a good mood, they’d bring in your father as a “special guest” and make him watch. And if they felt like it, they’d make me watch them torture him instead.”

Dick clenched his fist, his anger rose.

“I’m fine, Dick, honest, don’t worry about me. I wouldn’t let them break me. I have your father, it’s enough for me. I’ve hated rich people for years, and the Court is even worse, I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of letting them watch me lose my mind.”

Dick was surprised.

“You never told me you hated rich people mom. You were always kind and polite to everyone we met.”

Mary ruffled Dick’s hair, “I know Dick; it’s my own personal flaw. One I had to confront down in that labyrinth. Samantha Vanaver told me you were adopted by Bruce Wayne. He is everything I despise about rich people.”

Dick didn’t say a word. His mother didn’t know that Bruce was Batman. She only knew what she saw on TV and read in the papers. There were many sides to Bruce Wayne but the one he showed to the public was the side that would cause people to roll their eyes in disgust if they disliked wealthy people.

“It shocked me, disgusted me for a time. I kept asking myself if he took you in as a PR stunt or to treat you like a Christmas puppy. It’d look so good in the papers, “Billionaire Bruce Wayne Introduces Ward Richard Grayson”. Samantha showed me the newspaper. Bruce didn’t have to take you in after we died. He was there because it was a charity show we were doing.”

Mary sighed, “I let go of my hatred for Bruce when I realized that he saved your life and didn’t even know it.”

“You’re talking about the Court of Owls, aren’t you? Batman looked into them, couldn’t find anything.”

“So they were good enough to stay hidden from him. That scares me more.” Mary reached over and draped her arm around his shoulder. She fished something out of her pocket.

“I wasn’t able to give you this earlier because they were there too, but this is something you need to see. It’s a book of names. The names of every Talon the Court of Owls has produced for the last 150 years.”

Dick took the book and opened it, there were many names, none he recognized, except for one, the last entry in the book of names: Richard Grayson.

“They chose me? Why?” Dick asked his mother.

She held his face in her hands, stroking his cheek, “They chose you, Dick because you are talented and skilled. Many people want to use your talents for their own ends. I’m sure you’ve seen this in your new job.”

She let him go.

“Unfortunately, yes I have,” he met her gaze.

“Who was it?” Mary asked.

“Slade, he blackmailed me. Threatened my friends using Nanoscopic probes that would kill them with a push of a button if I didn’t work for him, he’d kill them and make me watch.”

“What did he want you to do?”

“Steal stuff for him, mainly follow in his footsteps.”

“I see. There’s a difference between stealing because you want to and stealing because someone’s making you do it. What made him decide that stealing should be your first crime? There are all sorts of criminal activities he could have you do but he chose to have you steal.”

“I suppose he chose for my first crime to be stealing because of a mistake I made,” Dick began explaining. “I came up with a plan to get close to him, to try to learn what he was planning. I created a criminal identity called Red X, and posed as a thief so I could get him to trust me. But I didn’t tell the others, I was afraid they would hold back if they knew it was me under that mask. I didn’t trust my friends, and my plan didn’t work, and I almost lost my life. Nearly fell off the side of a building.”

Dick gazed at her, “I sealed away the suit in a vault in Titans Tower but someone broke in and stole it, and now he’s running around stealing things.”

“Does he wear black, have a giant skull mask, and have a cape?” Mary asked.

“Yes,” Dick looked at her. “You’ve seen him?”

“Tried to steal my wallet,” Mary smiled. “He didn’t get anything, but I got this instead.”

Dick felt his mouth drop open as she held up the Red X belt.

“How did you—?”

“I’ve always been good at stealing, Dick. I just never told you. I also quit a long time ago, when I got married, because you need both your parents and I didn’t want you to visit me in jail.”

“When was this?” Dick was stunned.

“It was a long time ago, in Paris, France. The French government said they’d get the people at Cirque Romanes medicine but they kept saying that it was bogged down in “red tape”. 

“I met a young man at the Cirque Romanes just outside of Paris, France. He was a leper. He was miserable, and I felt sorry for him. So I decided to take the law into my own hands, give him the justice I felt he deserved. I was the first person who had touched him without fear or superstition and he fell in love with me for it. We also shared a distrust of rich and powerful people.”

She grabbed the handlebars of the Ferris wheel.

“My ex-boyfriend and I, we went to the Hotel De Ville and discovered what the government had been hiding behind all the smiles and the lies. The medicine intended to be distributed to the poor unfortunates at Cirque Romanes was hoarded by the French government after promising them they’d get antibiotics and inoculation. So I stole the medicine needed to cure his leprosy and things for the other people as well. Then we went to the Mayor’s house and helped ourselves to his cash and valuables. So I’m the last person to lecture you about stealing. He owed us that because he lied. That was justice. At least, that’s what it was to me back then.”

“And now? At least you have an altruistic excuse to fall back on,” Dick glanced at her. “I’ve never seen this side of you.”

“It’s not a good side of me; I’ll be the first to admit that.”

Mary looked out over the amusement park.

“I might have dressed it up in excuses but it was because I hated rich people. That’s something I’ve moved on from now. Knowing Bruce Wayne adopted you made me see that. He protected you from a cabal of the rich and powerful criminals. The Court of Owls couldn’t touch you because you were his ward and he did that because he clearly cared about you, even though you were just some stranger. I’ll be grateful to him for that. I can’t hate him for being a good person.”

“This ex-boyfriend of yours, have I ever met him?” Dick asked.

“No, you haven’t. He always stayed out of sight because he never stopped being a criminal. He made a promise that he would protect me. I told him he didn’t need to; he said he felt he owed me.”

“If you were so important to him, where was he when you _died_?” Dick asked.

“I don’t know, Dick. I didn’t see him that entire day, not even before our show.”

“Did he ever…bother dad?” Dick gazed at her curious.

“No, he knew I would cut him out of my life completely if he did that. Your father tolerated him but I made sure he stayed away from us.”

“This ex-boyfriend of yours, why didn’t you marry him?” Dick asked.

“I didn’t trust him, Dick. He is fickle; he would rail against the rich while having no problem enriching himself with their wealth. I’ve heard he betrays everyone he’s ever worked with. I had a bad feeling about him a long time ago, and so I broke it off with him. But he never stopped loving me. I am his obsession. I do wish I didn’t live in his head rent-free, but I can’t help that.”

“I trust your father completely, and I’ve told him everything. It’s why I married him.”

“Why didn’t dad turn you in to the police?”

“He told me I could be better than what I was, and I believed him. So I buried that part of my life and moved on. I kept moving forward because it’s what I needed to do. I’m still the same person you’ve always known, Dick. The Court couldn’t break me, and they never will.”

It meant that whatever she had gone through in that mysterious labyrinth, she was still his mother. It meant that the torture that had scarred her back had not scarred her spirit.

“But you might meet Richard, he was dumb enough to steal one of Slade’s suits,” Mary sighed.

“You named me after your _ex-boyfriend?!_ And dad _let you?!”_ Dick shouted.

“I named you after him because helping him was one of the few good things I have done in my life. I wanted to remember how I helped him. It has nothing to do with any feelings I had for him. Your father understood that, and he permitted it. He puts up with me and I love him for it.”

“I have seen Slade,” Mary told him.

“He didn’t hurt you did he?”

“No, but he did point a gun at me. Apparently, he doesn’t think children should be without their mothers so he let me live. He did offer me a deal to leave you alone.”

Dick’s eyes widened, “He asked you for sex, of course he would!”

“Yes, but he just wants to screw with my head, if he wanted me, he’s stronger than me and you know what happens in those situations.”

“He’d only want you to say yes because he’d get a sick thrill out of it,” Dick snarled angrily.

“I would never do anything with him, I’m happily married, and I don’t think he’d try the same form of betrayal insurance twice, besides, as you said, he’d actually want me to say yes,” Mary blew out a breath. “Let’s change the subject.”

She glanced at Dick, “Do you want to see your father?”

“Yes,” he replied simply.

“Then follow me down,” Mary told him as they dropped down, catching the metal spokes of the Ferris wheel and navigating their way back to the ground. Some people did gawk at them and they waited until everyone began to ignore them again.

Dick gazed at his father, he smiled, “You were taller when I was eight.”

“Of course I was son, you were up to my hips,” John smiled, ruffling his hair. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, dad,” Dick said quietly.

“Well, are you gonna just stand there?” John Grayson asked.

Dick flung himself into his parents’ arms, laughing and crying all at once.

“It’s so good to see you both!”

“I know, I know,” John smiled. “The last time we all hugged was before our show.”

“Let me change and then let’s go home,” Dick told them.

Dick went into the restroom and changed into his Robin uniform.

He led them down the street but turned down an alleyway.

“She’s following us,” Mary murmured in Robin’s ear.

“I know, that’s why I’ve been leading her here,” Robin replied. 

They continued walking down the alleyway.

There was a sound behind Robin’s back and he moved his backpack just a bit, the shuriken embedded itself in the backpack. He set the backpack down, gesturing for his parents to move away from him. They complied and just watched.

“What do you want with me, Rachel Vanaver? Is something wrong?” Robin asked.

“Nothing. I just feel like having a little fun, that’s all,” Rachel Vanaver replied.

Dick heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. He stood facing sideways so she could see his side profile.

Rachel rushed at him and swung her sword right to left with a sweeping blow aimed at his head.

Dick took rapid steps backward; Rachel somersaulted over his head, landing behind him, lunging at him as she swung her sword.

“So someone _did_ teach you acrobatics—they sucked!” Robin taunted.

“Well, sorry to _disappoint_ Haly’s Circus’ main attraction!” Rachel snarled. “I never did get the chance to perform with the Fearless Flying Graysons after _our dear mother_ abandoned me on the side of the road!”

Rachel slashed at him, swinging from right to left again. She slashed at him from top to bottom. Dick zigzagged out of the way of her blows. 

“Is that what you think? You were stolen from them. Mom and dad did all they could to search for you!”

Rachel leaped up, bringing her sword down, she managed to slice up a clump of his hair. He could see the rage in her face because he wasn’t even trying to fight her.

He extended his bo staff, blocking her blow with ease, even as he continued to move backward. They began circling each other, even as Rachel tried to push him into the wall.

“Oh, you’re _actually_ good. It’ll make killing you so much better…little brother,” Rachel whispered the last two words with venom.

“Oh, I figured that out already, you’re the spitting image of our mom,” Robin replied, amused.

She let him go and they began circling each other. 

There was a wicked smile that crossed her face.

“Are you with the Court or is Slade helping you out?” Robin demanded.

“Like I’m going to work with that freak! He wants you to be his puppet, I want you dead!”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no intention of dying today.” Robin shoved her away.

“Take the mask off, little brother, I want to see all the pain on your face when I kill you,” Rachel Vanaver snarled. She pulled off the owl mask and gazed at him with their father’s eyes that burned with rage and hatred.

“If you think you’re special because the Court told you something and made you feel important, you’re not. You’re just another hired thug,” Robin looked at her. “But I will humor you, just once, because you won’t have another shot at this.”

He took off his mask and tucked it in his utility belt. Rachel began to circle him. Robin kept moving with her, not making any moves.

“Heh, you’ll be dead, I’ll kill you, then I’ll kill dad, so you can know his death as well as your own. I’ll let mom live, I know she’ll go into a dark place if she loses you two, so that’ll be my revenge.”

“You’re quoting Matthew Stover; you do know how that book ends, right? I’ll warn you, I’m extremely competitive and I won’t lose to you.”

Rachel unsheathed a sword and brandished it, “I’m going to enjoy gloating over your corpse while mom and dad watch!”

Robin took out two birdarangs and connected them to form his own sword. He saluted with a flourish, evoking the showmanship the Graysons were known for as performers, “Dad once told me, “You should sell tickets before you start showing off”. So, sell me a ticket, Rachel.”


End file.
